He’s DJed for a Stella McCartney birthday party, got drunk with Robbie Williams, and lived in New York. As half of Brothers In Rhythm, he produced for Kylie Minogue & the Pet Shop Boys, remixed U2, Michael Jackson and Dido. He was the defining first editor of Mixmag and a resident DJ at Shelley’s, the legendary acid house club that launched the career of Sasha. He was there at the beginning of the British dance music revolution and he’s still one of its leading proponents today, his contagious enthusiasm unabated despite this glittering career.
Today Dave Seaman is more energized than ever - because he recognizes that British dance music, having gone back to its underground roots after a period of upheaval, is entering a renaissance. Outside of the mainstream, away from the UK’s transient pop-culture fashions, cool new scenes are forming in cities all over the UK. “We’re entering a new phase. Dance music in the UK needed to implode - the great acid house detox,” Seaman says. “We shed all the dead wood and hangers on. I feel like I’m starting again almost. It’s very exciting.”
Consequently Dave has spent the last year in a creative whirlwind. He’s about to release the second volume of his Audio Therapy mix series, with Luke Chable, for Renaissance. His Group Therapy production alias with studio legend Chad Jackson has produced barnstorming remixes for the Scissor Sisters, Tears For Fears and Starsailor. Group Therapy aren’t just about remixes, either. Their singles ‘My Own Worst Enemy’ and upcoming release ‘Something To Believe In’ pitch singer Natalie Leonard’s hypnotizing vocals over sleekly funky melodies and pumping club beats. Group Therapy’s high-octane fusion of vocals and strong-arm licks with pumping dance beats neatly updates Brothers In Rhythm’s club-anthem sound. “We've been working with a lot of vocals - and that live rocky sound. Lots of guitars, but quite bleepy as well,” says Dave. “The idea is to make it accessible to More than just the underground. If you can give things mass appeal, but with more depth when you look beneath the surface, then there’s more substance.”
Born and bred in Leeds, Dave famously won his first career break in a competition. He was a member of the groundbreaking DJ organization DMC when he won a trip to the New Music Seminar – then the world’s leading music conference, held in New York. DMC bosses were unsuccessfully queuing at the door for Nell’s - at the time NYC’s hottest club – when the cheeky Leeds teenager, who’d befriended a bouncer, popped out to lead them past a throng of irate clubbers, industry big-wigs, and hot-shots into the venue. They were impressed enough to offer him a job as editor of their in-house magazine, Mixmag. Dave’s early work helped establish the magazine as the world’s leading dance music title - a role it still occupies today. And he used the magazine as a springboard to his DJing career. So when Mixmag photographer Gary McLarnen opened a club in Stoke-On-Trent called Shelley’s, Dave found himself warming up for Sasha. Shelley’s quickly became legendary in early 90s clubland – and Dave’s DJing career was up and running.
Seaman is unique among leading DJs for his versatility: his ability to work within different genres without compromising his distinct musical identity. He is world-renowned as an underground dance DJ, yet as half of Brothers In Rhythm with production genius Steve Anderson he worked with some of the biggest names in mainstream pop. In the early 90s Brothers In Rhythm created classic club anthems like ‘Such A Good Feeling’ and ‘Peace And Harmony’ – not to mention an unforgettable remix of Sabrina Johnston’s ‘Peace In The Valley’ - that soldered euphoric soul vocals to blistering house beats. These were tracks that helped define a golden age for British dance music, and which quickly brought Brothers In Rhythm to the attention of the Pet Shop Boys. ‘Such A Good Feeling’ was Chris Lowe’s favourite record of 1990: Brothers In Rhythm suddenly found themselves chucked in at the deep end, producing ‘Go West’, ‘Was It Worth It’ and ‘DJ Culture’ with the Pet Shop Boys at some of London’s plushest studios.
Brothers In Rhythm worked on Kylie Minogue’s ‘Impossible Princess’ and ‘Kylie Minogue’ albums, writing tracks like ‘Did It Again’ and the beguiling, atmospheric ‘Confide In Me’. “Probably the song we’ve made I’m most proud of,” Dave says now. They were in the middle of the fan frenzy that surrounded Take That!, one of the 90s biggest pop bands, producing the ‘Nobody Else’ album and tracks like ‘Never Forget’ and ‘Sure’ while fans tried to scale studio walls and Dave enjoyed wild nights out with one of the band’s most charismatic members: Robbie Williams.
In the early 90s, so-called ‘progressive house’ emerged: the UK’s first distinctively British, house music style. At DMC, Dave and his former Mixmag Deputy Editor Nick Gordon Brown started Stress Records, releasing early productions from Sasha, Andy Cato from Groove Armada, and John Digweed. Brothers In Rhythm embraced the new genre’s fusing of American grooves, British dub and European techno sensibilities, producing progressive house classics like ‘The Mighty Ming’ as Brothers Love Dubs and ‘Nasty Rhythm’ as Creative Thieves. They went on to remix David Bowie, Placebo, U2 , Alanis Morrisette, New Order, Blur and Sting. It’s fair to say that no other British dance production team has made such an impact on mainstream pop and rock acts.
In 1998 Dave moved to New York’s East Village for a while. Back in the UK in 1999 he started Audio Therapy with a gang of like-minded music lovers – and the company has since become home to an A-list team of DJs and producers. Dave’s links with Melbourne’s vibrant club scene has brought in key talent like the innovative DJs and producers Phil K and Luke Chable and hotly-rated live electronic act Infusion, alongside leading UK names like Lexicon Avenue, Jonathan Lisle and Pete Gooding. The company has also worked with international DJs like James Holden, Timo Maas and Anthony Pappa as well as groups like Slacker, Evolution and The Light.
Audio Therapy is also a leading independent label – home to Dave’s Group Therapy project, as well as a roster of diverse talent that covers all bases from progressive through to breakbeat and the funkier styles of French house. It’s an imprint that’s kick-started the recording careers of Infusion, Habersham, Ernest Saint Laurent and Stel. With a set up like this behind him, it’s no surprise that Dave is now tailoring back his international DJ commitments to focus more attention on his recording career.
But he remains a star DJ with an enviable, international reputation, and his disarming Northern humour means this never goes to his head. On his website, he presents a cheeky snapshot of himself with a more famous namesake: former England goalkeeper Dave Seaman. It’s typical of an approach to music and business that have kept DJ Dave Seaman’s feet on the ground and his audience’s hands in the air.
“It’s about having fun, but understanding that the music has got depth as an art form. Finding that balance. I try to put that ethos into the records that we make and into the DJing that I do,” he says, “trying to give dance music an identity beyond the underground.” This instinctive understanding of what clubbing is really about means Dave Seaman is perfectly placed to enjoy dance music’s creative revival. “Acid house is dead,” he enthuses, “long live acid house. Here we go again!
From biography at http://www.djdaveseaman.com
My Own Worst Enemy
Dave Seaman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A place I know I really shouldn't go
But I'm easily lead
I seem to have a problem saying 'no'
And you think it's a front
So it doesn't really matter all that much
A publicity stunt
Ahh... Ah...
There's a place in my head
A place I know I really shouldn't go
But I'm easily lead
I seem to have a problem saying 'no'
And you turn a blind eye
Because it's just another phase I'm going through
Well what good is good-bye?
These things have a habit of haunting you
I just can't seem to trust myself
So what chance does that leave for anyone else?
I'm my own worst enemy
But you ain't seen the end of me...
I just can't seem to trust myself
So what chance does that leave for anyone else?
Ahh... Ah...
(I'm my own worst enemy)
But you ain't seen the end of me...
Ahh... Ah...
I'm my own worst enemy
But you ain't seen the end of me...
[Whisper]
I'm my own worst enemy
The lyrics to Dave Seaman's song My Own Worst Enemy express the struggle of the singer with an inner demon. The first two lines set the stage for the rest of the song. The place in his head represents the internal conflict he feels. The line "I really shouldn't go" implies that the singer is aware that the thoughts going on in his head aren't good but he is unable to control it. The third line, "But I'm easily led", is a fascinating aspect of the song, which says the singer is willing to go with the flow and swiftly influenced by their surroundings. The singer goes on to say that they have a problem of saying 'no,' which is an indication that they are prone to making the wrong choices.
The second verse speaks to the external factors that are contributing to the singer's downfall. The second stanza opens with, "And you turn a blind eye" - this refers to the people who are the cause of the singer's problem. The people who he surrounds himself with are ignoring the warning signs and only acknowledging this as just another phase of his life. There is an interesting play on words utilized in the lines, "A fabricated tendency to self-destruct," which could mean the singer’s inclination toward self-destruction is solely manufactured, and there might not be a more profound genesis of this tendency.
The chorus, "I'm my own worst enemy, but you ain't seen the end of me," is an indication that the singer is aware of the problem he has and that he's not entirely defeated. These lyrics reveal a sense of hope despite being in a dark place, while the closing whisper of "I'm my own worst enemy," emphasizes the self-sabotaging internal conversation that leads to the singer's downfall.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a place in my head
I have deep, repressed thoughts in my mind that I try to avoid.
A place I know I really shouldn't go
I understand that these thoughts are not healthy and I shouldn't entertain them.
But I'm easily led
Despite knowing better, I am easily swayed towards these thoughts.
I seem to have a problem saying 'no'
I lack the ability to resist the allure of these thoughts.
And you think it's a front
You believe that I am pretending or faking this issue.
So it doesn't really matter all that much
Because you don't believe it's a real issue, it doesn't concern you greatly.
A publicity stunt
You suspect that I am using this as a way to gain attention or sympathy.
A fabricated tendency to self-destruct
You think that I am creating this destructive behavior as a way to cause harm to myself.
There's a place in my head
Once again, I must emphasize the existence of these troubling thoughts.
A place I know I really shouldn't go
These thoughts are not healthy and I should not continue to entertain them.
But I'm easily led
Despite recognizing the danger of these thoughts, I am still compelled to follow them.
I seem to have a problem saying 'no'
My inability to resist these thoughts persists.
And you turn a blind eye
You choose to ignore my behavior and pretend that everything is okay.
Because it's just another phase I'm going through
You excuse my behavior as a temporary issue that will pass with time.
Well what good is good-bye?
Saying goodbye will not solve anything, as these thoughts will continue to haunt me.
These things have a habit of haunting you
The consequences of my actions will follow me and have a lasting impact.
I just can't seem to trust myself
I struggle to have faith in my own decisions and actions.
So what chance does that leave for anyone else?
If I can't trust myself, how can anyone else trust me?
I'm my own worst enemy
I am the source of my own problems.
But you ain't seen the end of me...
Despite my struggles, I am still strong and determined to overcome them.
I'm my own worst enemy
Once again, I must emphasize that I am the problem.
But you ain't seen the end of me...
I will continue to fight and overcome my internal struggles.
[Whisper] I'm my own worst enemy
This is a deeply personal and intimate battle that I must face on my own.
Contributed by Aiden B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@floridapmi
There's a place in my head
A place I know I really shouldn't go
But I'm easily lead
I seem to have a problem saying 'no'
And you think it's a front
So it doesn't really matter all that much
A publicity stunt
A fabricated tendency to self-destruct
Ahh... Ah...
There's a place in my head
A place I know I really shouldn't go
But I'm easily lead
I seem to have a problem saying 'no'
And you turn a blind eye
Because it's just another phase I'm going through
Well what good is good-bye?
These things have a habit of haunting you
I just can't seem to trust myself
So what chance does that leave for anyone else?
I'm my own worst enemy
But you ain't seen the end of me...
I just can't seem to trust myself
So what chance does that leave for anyone else?
Ahh... Ah...
(I'm my own worst enemy)
But you ain't seen the end of me...
Ahh... Ah...
I'm my own worst enemy
But you ain't seen the end of me...
[Whisper]
I'm my own worst enemy
@filteg7466
this song reminds me my first clubing nights,legendary days
@fabianofcarlos
One of Dave Seaman's greatest! Just love it!
@redmondjherring
Hasn't aged a day. So good.
@jodarmanin
i could never get sick of this.. its brilliant
@falcon81701
I have always loved Dave's track selection.
@1ntruder13
i found it in a compilation album from a famous greek dj... Try buying it online :)
@alisha_madariaga
To this day my favorite version of this track is the Phil K and habersham “cloudbrake”. Has a darker grittier vibe and I LOVE it!
@dariosilva0076
2020 still listening this song...but you aint seen the end of me....
@djsuperpat
Best of the BEst!!
@michelinepedneault1821
il est le maître du techno depuis 1968 qui aurait pu faire ça ? et augmenter la tradition? seulement lui! c'est lui le mentor! je m'excuse pour les autres on a trouvé son album complet dans un marché au puces et depuis c'est dans mon corps à jamais , merci la vie et la musique de Dave Seaman c'est la magie assurée ! c'est un pro éternel!